Bottom Line:
Early recognition and treatment are tremendously important for a successful outcome in these cases.They were treated and rehabilitated successfully, and won a sledge race three months later.This paper discusses the necropsy results, treatment regime, rehabilitation and the chronology of vaccination, stressful events and disease.

ABSTRACTIn spite of yearly vaccination, outbreaks of canine infectious respiratory disease are periodically seen amongst domestic dogs. These infections compromise host defense mechanisms, and, when combined with other stressful events, allow opportunistic pathogens like Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus to create serious disease. Early recognition and treatment are tremendously important for a successful outcome in these cases. A polyvalent vaccine was given to 22 racing dogs three days after a competition, followed by two days of rest, and then the dogs were returned to regular training. Coughing was noticed among the dogs four days after immunisation. Three days after this outbreak one of the dogs was unusually silent and was found dead the next morning. Simultaneously two other dogs developed haemorrhagic expectorate, depression and dyspnea and were brought in to the veterinary hospital. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was isolated in pure culture from all three cases. They were treated and rehabilitated successfully, and won a sledge race three months later. This paper discusses the necropsy results, treatment regime, rehabilitation and the chronology of vaccination, stressful events and disease.

Figure 1: Photographic overview of the lung, Case 1. The lung failed to collapse and was haemorrhagic, most pronounced on the left side.

Mentions:
Post-mortem examination revealed epistaxis and haemorrhagic frothy fluids in the trachea and bronchial airways on cut sections. Haemorrhages were present in the thymus, epicardium, intercostally, and in the pleural space 200 mL of uncoagulated blood were present. The lungs were congested, wet, consolidated and diffusely to cavernous haemorrhagic, these changes being more severe in the left lung lobes (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Photographic overview of the lung, Case 1. The lung failed to collapse and was haemorrhagic, most pronounced on the left side.

Mentions:
Post-mortem examination revealed epistaxis and haemorrhagic frothy fluids in the trachea and bronchial airways on cut sections. Haemorrhages were present in the thymus, epicardium, intercostally, and in the pleural space 200 mL of uncoagulated blood were present. The lungs were congested, wet, consolidated and diffusely to cavernous haemorrhagic, these changes being more severe in the left lung lobes (Figure 1).

Bottom Line:
Early recognition and treatment are tremendously important for a successful outcome in these cases.They were treated and rehabilitated successfully, and won a sledge race three months later.This paper discusses the necropsy results, treatment regime, rehabilitation and the chronology of vaccination, stressful events and disease.

ABSTRACTIn spite of yearly vaccination, outbreaks of canine infectious respiratory disease are periodically seen amongst domestic dogs. These infections compromise host defense mechanisms, and, when combined with other stressful events, allow opportunistic pathogens like Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus to create serious disease. Early recognition and treatment are tremendously important for a successful outcome in these cases. A polyvalent vaccine was given to 22 racing dogs three days after a competition, followed by two days of rest, and then the dogs were returned to regular training. Coughing was noticed among the dogs four days after immunisation. Three days after this outbreak one of the dogs was unusually silent and was found dead the next morning. Simultaneously two other dogs developed haemorrhagic expectorate, depression and dyspnea and were brought in to the veterinary hospital. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was isolated in pure culture from all three cases. They were treated and rehabilitated successfully, and won a sledge race three months later. This paper discusses the necropsy results, treatment regime, rehabilitation and the chronology of vaccination, stressful events and disease.